In a world driven by social media, reviews can make or break a business. It may take years to build an excellent reputation, only for one poorly handled negative review to tarnish it.

While it may seem daunting, negative reviews shouldn’t be overwhelming. In this article, we’ll help you navigate the world of negative feedback in a positive way so you can get back to doing what you do best: running a successful restaurant.

8 Tips for Handling Negative Reviews

Your business received a negative review—now what? Take a deep breath; it’s not the end of the world! Here are some tips to navigate the tricky waters of customer management:

1. The customer is always right, so take responsibility
   American magnate Harry Gordon Selfridge coined this phrase in the 20th century, and there’s a reason it’s lasted decades.
   There’s no use arguing with an unhappy customer, even if your business had a good reason for poor service—or even if the customer is wrong.
   When a customer takes the time to post a negative review, be open to criticism, take responsibility, and see it as an opportunity to improve.
   Create a positive environment by owning the issue and listening to what the customer says.
2. Think before responding
   Have you ever wanted to write a rude reply to an unfair customer complaint? You’re not alone. We’re all human (with strong feelings), and your natural response to criticism might be to resist.
   However, as an emotionally intelligent restaurant owner, your natural response should be to stay calm and respond professionally to negative feedback.
   Still tempted to hit “send” after drafting a sharp response? Never write when angry! Take a walk, reflect on what you want to say, and reply when you feel more balanced.
3. Keep all your hateful messages (and write but never send a sharp reply)
   No matter how many deep breaths you take, sometimes a bad review just makes you angry.
   Instead of letting that negative review take over your life, write down exactly what you want to say—get it all out of your system—but never send it. You’ll feel a lot better.
4. Have a customer complaint protocol
   Having a manageable customer complaint protocol makes handling negative reviews clearer.
   Here are easy steps to take when a negative comment reaches your office or social media feed:

• Document the complaint and report it to the necessary employee or department manager.
• Verify the legitimacy of the review. Common signs of fake reviewers include a generic name, no profile picture, and complaints no one in your business can confirm.
• If the complaint is legitimate, find the root cause. It might be a supply chain issue, employee mistake, or misunderstanding.
• Once you know the root cause, find a practical solution.
• Follow up with the complaining customer. Explain the steps you’ll take to fix or prevent the issue.
• If necessary, inform them of any compensation your company wants to offer.
  Sometimes even bad reviewers can become loyal customers after a well-handled review. If the customer seems happy with the final outcome of your protocol, consider asking them to leave another (this time positive) review stating that the issue was handled professionally and they’re now satisfied.

5. Compensate the complaining customer
   (Text cut off here in your original message.)

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Unhappy customers don’t complain about poor service or product issues just because they have nothing better to do.
The dissatisfied customer is likely unhappy because their expectations were not met, and they feel like they wasted their time and money.

Once you understand why the customer is unhappy, offer compensation to make up for their negative experience. This may include a refund, a free meal at home, or a voucher to use at your business in the future.

Compensating the unhappy customer will help restore their trust.

6. Take the conversation offline
   While receiving positive online feedback enhances your restaurant’s image, communicating with an unhappy customer might not be a conversation you want to make public.

When responding to a customer for the first time, ask if you can discuss the matter with them further in private.

Here’s an example of how to do this: Starbucks’ customer response team politely addressed the complaint while also asking the customer to contact them directly.

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For your own business, your response could be something like:
“Hello (insert customer’s name here). Thank you for your feedback, we appreciate the time you took to help us improve our business! We apologize for (insert complaint here), this is unacceptable! Could you please send us a message with more details so we can look into it right away?”

7. Use social media to show you care
   Social media can be an intimidating place, especially for businesses trying to protect their reputation. Trolls online are real! However, a company should never ignore negative comments on social media, as one unhappy customer can influence the thoughts and buying decisions of hundreds of potential customers.

No matter how professional your website is or how good your products are, if there are many unanswered negative reviews, potential customers are likely to run for the hills — and take their wallets with them.

Instead, use social media to respond to every review. Yes, even trolls. This provides social proof that your business takes its customers seriously and cares about customer satisfaction.

8. Prevent customer confusion
   Often, businesses receive negative reviews about something that could have been prevented simply by communicating with their customers.

Here is a great example of how a company informed customers in advance about an issue, instead of waiting for complaints to start appearing. They also kept the customer updated throughout the process, which customers definitely appreciate.

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For example, if your store will be closed for maintenance, make sure to inform your customers in advance. Such situations can also be used to your business’s advantage as an opportunity to encourage purchases.

Here is an example message you can send to customers in this case:
“Hello (insert customer’s name)! Just a heads-up that we will be closing our doors for the Christmas holiday, so we encourage you to place your orders as soon as possible so we can deliver them to your loved ones in time for the holiday season. The last day to receive orders will be (insert date here). Thank you for your understanding!”

Here is an example of how a busy florist encourages customers to place their Valentine’s Day orders as early as possible:

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AI is a great tool to help you respond to negative reviews

Now that you know the ins and outs of handling reviews, it’s time to respond to yours! Here are some templates to help you along the way.

When their contact details are unknown
Hello (Customer Name),
Thank you for your feedback. As we strive for excellent customer care, we truly appreciate the time you took to reach out.
We apologize for your negative experience and would be grateful for the opportunity to make it right as soon as possible.
Please send us a message with your contact details, and we will get back to you soon to discuss how we can improve your experience with us.
Thank you!
[Name – optional]

When you have their contact details
Hello (Customer Name),
As one of our valued customers, we appreciate you reaching out about your negative experience today – thank you! We apologize that our product or service did not meet your expectations. We strive for excellence and would like to have the chance to make it up to you.
We have your contact details on file and will reach out to discuss a solution that best suits your needs shortly.
Best regards,
[Name – optional]

When you need more information
Hello (Customer Name),
Thank you for reaching out today, we appreciate your feedback! Could you please provide us with more information (*this may include the restaurant chain, company branch, or the employee you worked with) so that we can address the issue? Please leave a comment below or send us a direct message, and we will resolve the problem!
Thank you again, we appreciate your time and effort.
Best regards,
[Name – optional]

Monitoring online reviews made easy

Reviews can be exhausting, but they don’t have to be. Localyser helps multi-location restaurant brands improve their online reputation by making it easy to monitor and respond to reviews from multiple sources, as well as generate more positive feedback from happy customers.

Book your Localyser demo today and turn negative reviews into positive opportunities for business growth and improvement.‍